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Maps App & Real Estate: How Is It Changing?

Hopefully by now you had a chance to download the new operating system for your iPhone and/or iPad device, which you’ll need to launch from iTunes if you currently don’t have 2.5 GB of free space. Maybe you’ve even had a chance throughout the craziness of your day at work, at school or with the family to discover some of the hidden gems of iOS 6 [You can discover them here – http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/09/ios-6-tips-and-hidden-features.]

One feature which is getting much attention, both good and bad, is the new Maps app from Apple, which has replaced the old Google Maps app. We knew this was coming for some time now and obviously Apple has been working hard to release a good product without any kinks, right? Well, unfortunately for many this new release has its share of problems; the duplication of the Diaoyus Islands near Taiwan is reportedly one of a world of problems Apple will need to correct. And though Apple will be on top of what they do best, through revisions, until they get the product right, the question will remain: Can they compete with Google’s mapping technology which they been fine tuning for over the past decade?

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of a portion of Clarks Summit through Apple’s Maps plot versus roughly the same plot of Google Maps version…

Real estate consumers will undoubtedly find Apple’s mapping tech slightly more challenging and less detail oriented from the onset, but the turn-by-turn voice navigation will surely be of some value to them (this baby is powered by TomTom!). People often look for landmark sites when navigating unchartered territory in search of a restaurant, a store or potentially the neighborhood they’ll soon call home. In my opinion, this will be one area of tremendous growth as it relates to your local real estate market over the next five to ten years and augmented reality will be sure to add another dimension to the fold.

The question still remains: Can Apple stay ahead of the “mapping” curve with their customers using their app? If they don’t Google will surely reap all the rewards!